Between Youth and Age
by PappyLyn
Summary: As Kaoru's birthday approaches, she only feels anxiety.
1. Default Chapter

Howdy! After falling for this wonderful Anime and reading so many fanfics, I decided to give it a try myself. I haven't written fan fiction in quite some time, so I'm looking forward to it! Since this is my first RuroKen fic, I'm sure there will be some clinkers, but please enjoy anyway! And don't hesitate to critique!

(If you figure errors in the timeline, do ignore them. I know it's not the most accurate piece of fan fiction ever, but hey.)

~Hippie Pippi, who has an Artzysoul 

*~~~(^_^)~~~*

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. It would be great if I did, but alas, I do not. *sniffles*

**Between Youth and Age**

            Grass was everywhere. It covered the earth, scented the air, colored the children's clothing, and clung to their hair. The children romped around in the Japanese sun, fully enjoying the freedom of youth. It did not occur to them that their mothers would scold them afterward for dirtying their kimonos. Childhood poses no worries. 

            There were roughly half a dozen little ones running down the dirt path by the river. It was the little freckled boy who suggested a game not unlike hide-and-seek, and the others happily agreed. He was volunteered to be the one to sit and wait behind while the remaining children ran off in search of places to hide.

            Kamiya Kaoru, thinking herself to be very clever, dashed off toward the river. She ran up the grassy slope and scanned the area for a good place to hide. Located down the other side of the hill was a large bolder suitable for a small child to conceal herself behind. She beamed at her discovery and took off toward it. 

            She had not gotten very far when something pulled her back. Kaoru looked down only to see part of her kimono caught in the crack of a log resting on the hill. She frowned, grabbed a fistful of fabric and yanked. The log resisted. Kaoru continued to tug on her kimono, growing frantic. She needed to get to her hiding place before they came looking for her! Deciding to use all the strength her four-year-old body could give, she gave one last heave.

            The bark of the log snapped, and the force of Kaoru's tug caused her to lose her balance and tumble down the hill. She let out a cry as she rolled, growing dizzy. When she came to rest at the base of the incline, Kaoru slowly sat up. 

She carefully lifted her kimono to examine the sting in her knee. Her eyes widened when she saw a large scrape. Horrified, she touched it with her index finger. It was bleeding. She began to cry.

Kaoru stiffened when she felt someone kneel down next to her. "Are you all right?" a voice asked. She rubbed her eyes, and looked up to see violet ones gazing into her own. Beside her was a boy, maybe fifteen years or so, with long red hair pulled back in a high ponytail and a horizontal scar on his cheek. He seemed very intimidating to the young Kaoru, who remained silent.

"You're bleeding…" the boy said. He reached into his gi and pulled out a handkerchief. He reached for her knee, but Kaoru pulled away.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, grabbing her ankle. Kaoru stared in amazement as he dabbed at her knee, soaking up the blood into the handkerchief. She cringed at the stinging sensation his movements created and squeezed her eyelids closed.

After a moment, Kaoru heard the mysterious boy say, "There, all done." She opened her eyes to see the handkerchief wrapped around her knee, acting as a bandage. She smiled at the realization that her knee no longer hurt. The boy stood up and offered his hand to her. She cautiously took it, and he pulled her to her feet with ease. 

"Try to be more careful in the future, all right?" he said, giving her a warm smile. Kaoru smiled back. Even though he towered over her small form, he no longer seemed as intimidating as he had earlier. 

"I found her! I found her!" a voice called. The boy turned his head up to see the other little children running down the hill. Kaoru did the same. "She's down here!" the child called again. 

Kaoru turned back to the stranger, but he was already walking away. She noticed the sword that hung on his waist. A wave of fear washed over her. _He must be a man if he has a sword_ she figured to herself. She turned around to the freckled child behind her, who pushed her down.

"Found you!" he cheered. Kaoru turned back to look at the swordsman, but he was gone.

Kaoru opened her eyes. The morning sun was shining through the window of her room, creating a block of light to warm her legs. She realized that during the night she became tangled in her blankets. Absently she wondered if she had another nightmare. Then she remembered her dream. __

She remembered his hair, the scar, the sword. She remembered gazing into those deep, violet eyes. She remembered his warm smile. _He definitely was Kenshin _she thought to herself. Kaoru sighed. She had a dream similar to this last night, except that Kenshin appeared to her as she knew him to be now. Either way, the dreams only reinforced the insecurity that Kaoru had been feeling for a while now: the age difference between herself and the rurouni.

Kaoru could no longer deny the fact that she had fallen hard for Kenshin. She followed him to Kyoto when he sought out Shishio, stayed by him when he returned from battle barely clinging to his life, and spent every day after watching him and every night dreaming of him. Deep inside she always had longed for the day when Kenshin would return her love. But no matter her feelings for her redheaded rurouni, she knew that it was impossible.

The decade between them never bothered Kaoru until she began to have the dreams. Then the difference hit her like a brick wall. After all, Kenshin was already training under the Hiten Mitsurugi style when Kaoru was only being born. She figured that when the young Kaoru of her dream slipped down the hill and scrapped her knee, Kenshin was already Hitokiri Battousai, deadliest manslayer in all of Japan._ He must be a man if he has a sword…_ Kaoru snorted. Yahiko was closer to her age than Kenshin was.

Kaoru let out a sigh and rolled over. Suddenly a thought struck her. She sat up abruptly and began to count dates on her fingers. _One, two, three…one month plus six days…_ Her eyes brightened. "My birthday is in one week!" she exclaimed. _I'll be eighteen years old! And being eighteen is more of an adult than being seventeen is! _ Kaoru stopped. Her heart began to ache. _But…even if I am eighteen years old, I'm still a child compared to Kenshin. Only a child…_ A tear escaped from her eyes and gently fell down her cheek. _This birthday doesn't mean a thing. _

Kaoru pulled her blankets back up to her face and dug her nose into her futon. _What will they think when I tell them my birthday is approaching? What will Kenshin think? Will he see me as a woman now instead of a girl? Or…will bringing up my age only reinforce any reservations he has? Do I really want to remind him that I am so much younger than he is?_

Kaoru wiped her wet cheeks with the heel of her palm.The last thing she wanted to do was to draw any attention to the age difference between herself and Kenshin. She knew that if no one thought about it, it would not be a problem. Even though she doubted that her dreams of Kenshin's love would ever come true, she had no desire to create any more issues than there already were. She sighed once more.

"I won't tell anyone about my birthday," she decided with a sniffle. "I don't really want anyone to remember how young I am…" She rolled over and tried to return to sleep, failing miserably. 

_To Be Continued_


	2. chapter 2

I'm sorry it's taken awhile to update this. I was faced with writer's block. It's no fun. Thank you to those who gave me reviews, they mean a lot to me! 

Just a note, I decided that I would use my magical powers as the writer to give Kenshin a blue gi in this chapter. I know he's rather attached to his pink one, but he needs at least one change of clothes. After all, he can't do the laundry nekked, right? ^_^ Although, Kaoru might not mind the sight! ^_^ Hehehe

Enjoy!

Between Youth and Age Part 2 

Kenshin held the lid onto the pot as he drained the steaming water out of the rice. He set the pot back onto the counter and stirred the rice on last time. He grabbed a small towel to protect his calloused hands from the heat of the metal and carried the pot out to a waiting Sanosuke and Yahiko. He sat the heavy pot down and removed the lid.

"It's about time, Kenshin. I'm starved!" said Sanosuke impatiently, reaching for the rice. Kenshin hit his hand with the lid. "Youch! That's hot!"

"Perhaps _you_ would like to start cooking breakfast for us, Sano," Kenshin said calmly. "And besides, we should wait for Kaoru-dono before we start eating, that we should."

Sanosuke waved his hand around in attempt to cool it down. "Where is Jou-chan anyway? She's normally up by now," he asked.

"She'll be here any minute," said Kenshin as he went back into the kitchen for the soup.

Yahiko frowned and crossed his arms. "Why do we have to wait for her, anyway?" he asked irritably. "I'm hungry now!"

"I dunno. Go get her, would you? I want to eat," Sanosuke said, giving Yahiko a shove.

"Me? Why do _I_ have to?" asked Yahiko.

"'Cuz she's _your_ sensei," Sanosuke replied. "Just go!"

"You go!" shouted Yahiko, pushing him back.

"Don't push me!" Sanosuke said, shoving Yahiko again. 

"Then don't push me!" Yahiko snarled, shaking his fist. 

Sanosuke reached over and grabbed a fistful of Yahiko's gi and pulled him to his face. "Hey now, kid, don't get snappy with me, you here?"

Kenshin returned from the kitchen with the soup. "Now now, you two. There's no need for that here." Sanosuke and Yahiko growled at each other. He sat the bowl down. "If neither of you two wish to find Kaoru-dono, then don't. I will go to tell her that breakfast is ready." He wiped the soup that had spilled on his hands off onto the towel and left the room.

"Finally, food!" Sanosuke said, filling his bowl with rice. 

"I thought we were supposed to wait for Kaoru," said Yahiko, folding his arms.

Sanosuke stuffed his mouth full of rice. "Would Kenshin really want the food he spent all morning making get cold before we had a chance to eat it?" he asked, rice falling out of his mouth. Yahiko made a face and flicked a grain from his cheek.

"I guess not," the boy muttered.

"Alright then," Sanosuke mumbled through the food in his mouth. He swallowed. "Pass me another bowl, will you?"

            Kenshin barely made a sound as he walked down the hallway to Kaoru's room.  He wondered why Kaoru had not joined them for breakfast. She was always awake and about the dojo before Yahiko and Sanosuke. He hoped that she was all right and that nothing was wrong.

            "Kaoru-dono?" he asked. He rapped his knuckles on the doorframe. "Kaoru-dono, are you awake? Breakfast is ready, that it is." 

            There was no reply from inside the room. Kenshin grew concerned. "Kaoru-dono? Are you in there?" It wasn't like Kaoru to hide away like this. Perhaps she was ill and wished to sleep longer. He hoped that was not the case. 

            A thought struck Kenshin. What if she was in danger? "Kaoru-dono? I'm going to come inside now. Please do not be alarmed." He needed to make sure that she was safe.

            The door slid open just as Kenshin reached for it. "Kenshin?" Kaoru asked quietly.

            "Oh, Kaoru-dono! Ano…ohayo," Kenshin fumbled. "I was just coming to find you, that I was. Breakfast is ready." He noticed that her eyes seemed redder than usual. She seemed to be upset about something. "Is everything all right, Kaoru-dono?"

            Kaoru nodded slowly. "Hai," she said sadly. Kenshin looked skeptical. 

_Kaoru, you baka! _Kaoru scolded herself. _He's not going to believe that!_ Her face brightened up. "Of course it is! Everything's great! Why do you ask?" she asked, trying her hardest to smile.

"Oh, well, you don't seem to be your usual self today, that you don't," Kenshin replied. "I was concerned."

Kaoru waved her hand. "Oh, don't be silly!" she said cheerfully. "Everything's great. Stop worrying yourself!" 

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Positive!" Kaoru said. 

Kenshin hesitated. Somehow he was not convinced. _However,_ he said to himself, _if Kaoru-dono says she is all right, then I will just have to believe her. _Kenshin smiled. "Alright then, Sanosuke and Yahiko are waiting for us. We shouldn't keep them waiting, that we shouldn't." 

Kaoru nodded and began down the hallway. _I can't let him see me like this,_ Kaoru said to herself. _Knowing Kenshin, he'd ask questions, and I don't want him to know about my birthday. Besides, he doesn't need to worry about my problems. I should be able to handle them myself. I am eighteen, after all. Not some whiney little girl._

Kenshin opened the door and followed Kaoru into the kitchen. Sanosuke and Yahiko were both stuffing their faces with food. Kenshin frowned. "I thought we were going to wait for Kaoru-dono!" he said.

Sanosuke swallowed his rice. "Well, we _were_…" he said with a shrug. "We just got tired of waiting." Yahiko nodded. Kaoru let out a sigh and sat down. Kenshin followed suit. With that, breakfast passed by rather uneventfully.

Kaoru decided to work with Yahiko to get her mind off of what lay ahead in the week. The youth was restless lately and Kaoru knew that he had energy to burn. She instructed him to fetch the training supplies from the dojo while she went to change her clothes. Yahiko eagerly complied.

"Start with one hundred repetitions of each stroke," Kaoru told him, her wooden sword resting on her shoulder. "Then we will work on sparring, alright?"

"Hai!" Yahiko agreed. He began slashing the air with his shinei, counting to himself. 

Kaoru walked over and sat on the front steps of the house, watched her pupil do his warm-ups. Yahiko was improving everyday. Kaoru smiled smugly. _I must be a great teacher since he's doing so well_, she thought. _Even if the student has great potential, it takes a good instructor to bring it to the surface. Not bad for an almost-eighteen year old, if I do say so myself._ Kaoru sighed. _I wonder if Kenshin's noticed…_

Kaoru's thoughts were interrupted as some kind of textile landed on her head. "Nani?" she cried, trying to pull it off of her. She noticed that whatever it was had an unusual aroma._ It smells good,_ she thought.

"Oh, Kaoru-dono! Gomen!" she heard Kenshin say as she pulled the cloth off of her. She looked down to see Kenshin's magenta gi in her hand. Puzzled, she looked up to see the rurouni struggling with an armload of laundry. 

"I did not mean to drop that on you, that I did not," he said sheepishly. 

"Oh, it's fine," Kaoru said, standing up while clutching the article of clothing to her. "Do you need any help with that?" she asked.

"No thank you, Kaoru-dono. I can manage, that I can," he said, dropping one of Yahiko's undershirts. He looked down at it, contemplating how he was going to retrieve it without dropping the rest of the laundry in his hands. 

"Are you sure about that?" Kaoru smirked as she picked up the shirt and placed it on the pile in Kenshin's arms. 

"Hai. Arigato, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin replied. He began to walk down the stairs and toward the other end of the courtyard. Kaoru's eyes trailed after him and she sighed. She sat back down on the steps and continued to watch Yahiko.

_He smells so good, _Kaoru thought as she smelled the gi again. Kenshin had a scent of a lush forest right after a rainstorm. She could smell the trees and the plants. 

One of Kaoru's favorite childhood memories was when her father would take her for a walk in the forest after a summer shower. She loved to splash in the puddles and smell the flowers. Then she would run over to her father, take his hand, and walk with him silently back to the house. The forest always intimidated young Kaoru, but as long as her father was near, she felt safe. Nothing in the world could hurt her.

Kaoru smiled. It was the same feeling she had with Kenshin. The whole world could be crumbling around her and fading away into the fiery depths of Hell, but as long as her rurouni stood next to her nothing could hurt her. With Kenshin sleeping in the room down the hall, Kaoru no longer feared the dark of her room at night. If she awoke from a nightmare in the middle of the night, all she would have to do was remind herself the Kenshin was near and she would instantly fall back into a peaceful sleep. It was just like when her father had slept down the hall. It seemed only natural that Kenshin smell like rainstorms. They were always something that made Kaoru feel safe.

Kaoru smelled the gi again before she stopped. She looked down at the garment in she hands, her jaw dropping. _I still have it!_ She jumped up from the step. _Kenshin will think that I'm nuts for hanging on to this!_ Kaoru dashed across the courtyard towards the bathhouse. She peeked around the corner.

Kenshin was standing in front of the tub with his back toward Kaoru. He was wrapping a white ribbon around his body to hold his navy-blue sleeves back. Kaoru eyed the laundry pile next to him. _Maybe if I could toss this in there and run away before he notices that it's not there,_ she wondered. She really did not want to explain to the redhead why she kept his gi while he walked away. _I'll just leave it here on the ground. Maybe he'll think he dropped it again._

Kaoru was about to drop the gi when Kenshin turned around to face her. Kaoru blushed. _How did he know I was here? Wait, he probably sensed me. Drat!_

"Yes, Kaoru-dono?" he asked, tying the ribbon. 

"Ano…" Kaoru said, trying to think of an excuse. None came to her. Kenshin's eyes fell to the gi in her hands. "You…you forgot this," she said sheepishly.

"Oro?" Kenshin asked. He smiled. "Hmm, it seems I did," he said, approaching her. She held out the gi and he took it. "Domo," he said with a smile. 

Kaoru smiled back. "I should probably get back to Yahiko," she said quietly. She turned around and started away.

"Is everything all right, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru turned around and smiled. "Of course, silly!" Kenshin did not seem to be convinced. "Stop worrying about me!"

Kenshin stared after her as she walked back toward the dojo. _Something's not right,_ he thought. He waited until she was out of sight before he turned back to the laundry.

Meanwhile, Kaoru was thinking about Kenshin's gi. She could not get the smell of rain out of her head. She always loved the smell of rain. It reminded her of her father.

Kaoru's heart sank. _I'm comparing him to my father now…_ she thought. _That's horrible. He's not a father figure to me! Although…he's almost old enough to be my father._ Tears formed in Kaoru's eyes. _This is just perfect._

Yahiko slashed the air once more. "I'm done, Kaoru!" he cheered. Kaoru said nothing and walked past him. "Kaoru?"

            "Huh?" Kaoru said, snapping out of her reverie. She blinked the tears out of her eyes and turned to face her pupil. "What did you say?"

            Yahiko frowned. "Jeez, why don't you pay attention, busu? I said I was done!" Much to his surprise, Kaoru did not scold him for calling her names. She merely nodded and retrieved her sword. 

            "What's _with_ you today, busu?" he asked again, hoping for a response.

            "Nothing, Yahiko-chan…" she replied, falling into a battle stance.

            "Hey!" Yahiko yelled. Kaoru smiled and attacked. Unfortunately, her mind began to wander back to her birthday. She sighed and continued to spar.

_To Be Continued_


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sorry that it's been awhile. Those of you who have reviewed seem pretty miffed. Please accept my humble offering. The idea hit me last night. Enjoy!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 3 

Kaoru stirred, slowly opening her eyes. It was hopeless. She was not going to be falling asleep anytime soon. She rolled to her back, and then brushed her hair to one side of her head with her hand. She gazed up at the wooden ceiling of her bedroom. She sighed. It was time to face her demons.

She had another dream that woke her up. It had nothing to do with Kaoru meeting Battousai as a child. It had nothing to do with her as an infant. In this dream, Kaoru was actually going to marry Kenshin. It was the day of their wedding. Kaoru, dressed in her wedding kimono, was roaming the halls looking for her groom.

_"Kenshin? Kenshin…where are you?"_

_Kaoru slid open a shoji and jumped back in surprise. There was Kenshin, her groom, under the blankets of his futon. He seemed to be naked, and Megumi was next to him. _

_"Kenshin! Wha…wha…"_ _Kaoru trembled. _

"I think it is time for you to go, Kaoru," said Megumi, brushing a strand of damp hair from her eyes. 

_"But…what…what's happening, Kenshin?" asked Kaoru, tears welling up in her eyes._

_ "I do not think you would understand, Kaoru," Kenshin replied calmly, pulling the blankets up to his chest. _

_ "N-nani?"_

_ Megumi laughed softly. "Perhaps we shall explain it when you're older, dear. For now, you should play outside. Ken-san has needs that I should attend to…"She raised her eyebrows coyly._

_ Kaoru backed to the door. "But…but…I…I thought…"_

_ "Foolish girl!" Megumi burst into laughter. "Did you honestly think that _you_ could do anything for him? Did you actually think he'd want _you_?" She fell back to the futon, laughing. "Honestly, Kaoru-chan, you are but a child. Maybe you should go back to your dolls and return when you've…" she chuckled, "…grown into your top!" Megumi roared with a maniacal laughter. _

_ "You should leave us," Kenshin said quietly. Kaoru felt tears stream down her cheeks. "I just need a woman…"he murmured, laying back down with Megumi._

_ Kaoru turned and ran out the door, sobbing. She could hear Megumi's laughter echoing behind her._

Kaoru rubbed her eyes with her fists. It almost startled her how real her dream was. She felt her eyes moisten. "This is ridiculous…" she said to herself. She understood that it was just a dream, but it did reawaken the dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach she had spent the last week ignoring. The anxiety she felt concerning her youth compared to Kenshin was back and stronger than before. Perhaps she should stop ignoring it.

Kaoru gazed at the light streaming in from the window. It was well past midnight now. Happy birthday to me, she thought. "Does this still make me a child?" she wondered aloud.

Not only did Kenshin flat out reject her in this dream, he had replaced her. Worse yet, he replaced her with _Megumi_. Kaoru let a lone tear slid down and drop onto the blanket. She really had no idea how Kenshin truly felt about Megumi. She knew that her forward nature made Kenshin uneasy, but that did not stop the possibility of stronger feelings. After all, there was no question that Megumi was a woman. She was older, smarter, more refined, and even more beautiful. Kaoru sighed. Compared to Megumi, Kaoru was just a child after all. Her dream was right.

Kaoru could not stop crying once she began. She lay in her bed and sobbed for several minutes. What could she do to prove to Kenshin that she was not just a little girl? Nothing. She was young, she was reckless, she was pretty unrefined. All that she could do was step back and let Kenshin have Megumi, or whichever woman he found.

Kaoru wiped her tears away. She put her hand on her stomach. _I don't feel well…_

She slowly sat up. Did she cry herself to the point of illness? Her eyes darted around the room. She could not tell if she was going to be sick or not. She could be imagining things. Then again, she was very upset and had been for a week. She rose to her feet. "Oh no…"she muttered.

She slipped on some blankets as she ran to her door. She threw it open and dashed down the hall. She put her hand to her mouth. She was not going to make it.

Kaoru rounded the corner and sped to the porch. She hit it, gripped the rail, and unleashed herself over the edge of the banister. _I've actually worried myself sick…_ she thought sadly as she retched. She felt miserable.

As she leaned over the rail, she was surprised to feel gentle hands pulling her hair from her face. Someone had discovered her. _It's Kenshin…_Kaoru knew. _How will I explain this one?_ Her mind could not think of an excuse. She coughed again, and loosened her hold on the rail. She slowly stood up, not wanting to face the rurouni behind her. She did not want him to think that she could not handle herself. She most definitely did not want him knowing what brought her to the point of sickness. She closed her eyes. She felt the presence behind her shift.

"You alright, Jou-chan?"

Kaoru froze. She whirled around to see, not Kenshin, but Sanosuke holding her raven locks in his hands and a worried expression on his sleepy face.

"Sano!" she said, standing up and trying to catch her breath. "What…what are you doing here?"

"Wild night," he said with a wink. He released her hair and laid his hand on her shoulder. "You finished? Or should we stay here for a bit longer?"

Kaoru shook her head. "I'm done. I'm just…" Sanosuke looked at her with suspicion. "I'm just stressed. Domo, but…"

Sanosuke slipped his hand under her elbow. "C'mon, Jou-chan. Let's clean you up, ne?" He led her away from the banister. "Some tea'll do you good right now, and I've got a bucket of water all ready." Kaoru said nothing. She allowed herself to be escorted toward the kitchen. She tried to think of an explanation for her midnight rendezvous with her dinner, but failed. She was relieved, though, that she would not have to face Kenshin for a while yet.

Kaoru rinsed the water around her mouth and spit it out for the last time. The foul taste was finally gone. She sighed and turned back into the kitchen. She placed the bucket of water on the floor and sat down. Sanosuke walked over and handed her a cup.

"Better?" he asked. She nodded. "Drink that, it'll make the taste go away. Believe me, I've had three cups already tonight. Works…" he smiled and leaned back against the wall. Kaoru nodded a thank you and began to sip the tea. It tasted soothing to her roaring insides. Her head was starting to ache. She sighed again.

"So, why'd you spill your guts, quite literally, into the bushes tonight? You're not knocked up, are ya?" Sanosuke said with a chuckle.

Kaoru was horrified. "Nani?"

He chuckled again. "Joking, Jou-chan. Calm down." He waved his hands in defeat.

Kaoru composed herself. "More importantly, Sano, why are you in my house, making my tea, in the dead of the night?" she asked, growing annoyed.

"I just needed a place to crash without worrying 'bout getting sprung on." Kaoru looked confused. "Too much sake, too much betting, pissed some people off…basically, I'm in no state to fend off jackasses, and they wouldn't follow me here." Kaoru noticed for the first time that Sanosuke was drunk, or at least had been pretty badly at one point in the night. His cheeks were fairly pink and he had a glassy look in his eyes and a goofy grin on his face. "You know," he continued, "I was going to apologize for the…ah…misuse of your bushes, but I'm thinking it's ok since you used 'em, too."

"How long have you been here?" Kaoru asked. Sanosuke shrugged.

"Long enough to clean up and crash on the porch. I dunno."

Kaoru smiled. "And to drink three cups of tea." Sanosuke burped. Kaoru snickered.

"Needed to get the sake taste out somehow…" He shifted his weight. "Now then, we've talked enough about me. What are _you_ doing with the bushes? You sick or something?"

Kaoru looked down at her teacup. "Hey, is there something going on? You were fine earlier today." What to do now? She was hoping to avoid this discussion, but Sanosuke was sober enough to see she was upset about something. She could not duck out of this. She might as well talk to him about it. _It could even make me feel better…_

"Sano…does Kenshin…I mean, does he…would…well…" Kaoru chewed on her lip nervously. Maybe this was not such a good idea. She glanced up at Sanosuke. He was waiting patiently. She took a deep breath. _Oh, out with it! _"What does Kenshin think of me?" she blurted. There. It was out. No turning back now.

Sanosuke took a deep breath. "Well, I think you'd have to ask him about that."

"I know…" Kaoru said quietly.

"Is this what's got you so worked up? Is it Kenshin?" Sanosuke's continence turned sly. "Is there something going on between you guys that I should know about?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No…nothing like that…it's just…." She could not bring herself to admit anything.

Sanosuke scooted a bit closer and put his arm around her shoulder. "C'mon, Jou-chan. You can tell me anything. Please?" Kaoru looked into his eyes. It was either the alcohol talking, or he honestly wanted to help her out. She sighed again.

"Today…today's my birthday…"

He leaned back and looked at her again. "Well, happy birthday!" he said happily. "Why didn't you say anything?" Kaoru felt uneasy. "What, do you think you're old or something?"

"It's not that…it's just…well…I'm so _young_," she admitted. She was not feeling well.

Sanosuke was confused. "You're not that young…you're, what, eighteen? It's young, yes, but not that much younger than me or anything. Why does this bug you? It's not like you're Yahiko."

Kaoru turned to face him. He had a point. Sanosuke was nineteen. They were nearly the same age. She did not consider him to be a child. She did not even consider Yahiko a child all the time.

"But…Kenshin's not nineteen!" she declared. Sanosuke jumped back in surprise. She immediately felt herself blush.

He finally understood. "So that's what's got you down. You think Kenshin won't want to be with you or anything since you're younger than he is…am I right?"

Kaoru nodded sadly. "I'm just a child to him."

"Well, first off, I know Kenshin doesn't think of you as a child. Hell, you run your own house and take care of us all! You've got your kendo and your dojo…he respects you for it. That means something to you, doesn't it?" Kaoru nodded again. "And frankly, I don't think Kenshin really gives a damn about people's ages. He hangs out with all of us, right? We're all younger than he is, you know."

"But…"

"And he really doesn't care. Not even Yahiko. He was the brat's age when he was training and stuff, wasn't he?"

Kaoru gazed into her empty cup. "I guess you're right."

"'Course I'm right." Sanosuke leaned against the wall again. " 'Age ain't nothing but a number,' ne?"

She smiled. "Right. Arigatou, Sano." He did have some good points. _Kenshin was a hitokiri at age fifteen. He was on his own, traveling at eighteen. It is very likely that he still sees eighteen as adulthood. _Kaoru smiled again. "Domo."

Sanosuke stretched his arms. "And if he doesn't see you as a woman yet, then his loss." Kaoru felt her face color again. She giggled to herself at his compliment. She watched him start to stand up. "Now, birthday girl…er, birthday _lady_…let's get you back to bed." He helped her to her feet. Kaoru looked at the dishes still out but decided she would leave them for the morning. Sanosuke took her arm and slowly escorted her back to her room.

Kaoru was suddenly very tired. She yawned. The door to her room was still open, and her blankets were a mess. She was slightly embarrassed to have Sanosuke see her room like that, but she got over it. She turned back to Sanosuke. "Well, thanks again, Sano. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Don't worry so much, though, ok?" He smiled. "You'll make yourself sick."

Kaoru smiled. "Hey, would you like a room? You can use one of the spare rooms. Here, let me get you a futon." Kaoru turned to return down the hall. Sanosuke grabbed her arm. "Oh no you don't, birthday lady." He moved her to her doorway. "I'll manage. I'd ask to share yours, but…" Kaoru's jaw dropped. "Futons in the storage room, right?"

Kaoru gaped. "Y-yeah…but…"

"I'm set." He smiled again.

Kaoru hesitated, but let it go. She was too drained to argue. That, and Sanosuke's peculiar behavior was making her nervous. She remembered his inebriated state and shrugged it off. "Ok…oyasumi…"

He kissed her forehead. "Sleep good…See you in the morning, Jou-chan." Kaoru entered her room and slid the door shut. She waited, and when she heard his footsteps retreat down the hall she returned to the mess of her bedding. Her fingers drifted to her forehead, and she smiled. _He's such a charmer when he's had too much to drink…I think…_ She yawned again. She picked her blanket up, carried it to her futon, sat down and rearranged the linens.

Kaoru felt a bit of relief. _Sano's right_ she thought. _Do I really need to worry so much? Is it really such a big deal?_ Maybe it would all blow over in the morning. She pulled the blankets up to her chin, then slowly drifted off to sleep.

_To Be Concluded… _


End file.
